Warts and Corns… What are they and how are they treated?

You have a small, painful lump on your foot. Is it a wart or a corn?

Warts and corns look similar but need very different treatments. This is especially so if you have diabetes, as the wrong treatment of a wart or corn can cause an ulcer develop.

Warts occur when a virus (Human Papilloma Virus or HPV) invades your body through tiny cuts or breaks in your skin. Normally, antibodies in your blood destroy the virus, but sometimes the virus infects your skin cells and causes a wart.Plantar warts are simply warts that occur on the sole of your foot. Under pressure from standing and walking, plantar warts can become painful. There is no 100% guaranteed cure for warts. The best treatments will destroy the wart without causing damage to healthy tissue nearby. Usually warts need to be treated several time to make sure all the wart is destroyed.

Corns form in response to pressure and friction on a particular area on your foot. Excessive pressure may be from your shoes, from misalignment of the bones of your feet or from long periods of standing or walking. Pressure and friction cause the cells in your skin to clump and stick together to form a hard lump. Podiatrists can gently remove your painful corns and help prevent  recurrence with padding, insoles or orthotics. Since footwear is one of the most common causes of corns, your podiatrist may suggest a change in shoe style to help reduce painful corns. Corns cannot be removed permanently. They may take years to recur or just a few weeks, depending on your foot structure, your footwear and your activity level.

Remember… warts and corns are different and need different treatment, especially if you have diabetes. Podiatrists are foot care professionals  who diagnose, assess and treat warts and corns gently and effectively every day. If you think you have a wart or a corn, get safe effective pain relief today. Call now… 9319 3030.